


Day Four: Fortune Cookie

by sparrowhaven



Series: Final Fantasy 14 Writing Challenge March 2021 [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: 31 Days Writing Challenge, And saving the world is a heavy burden, Dual WoL AU, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, Gen, In which Rowena gets a taste of WTF has been happening since Heavensward, Just for fun not for anything offical, it's not all sad tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:14:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29855163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparrowhaven/pseuds/sparrowhaven
Summary: Rowena meets up with the Warriors of Light in Kugane to catch up with the two of them.
Series: Final Fantasy 14 Writing Challenge March 2021 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2190222
Kudos: 2





	Day Four: Fortune Cookie

**Author's Note:**

> Okay due to the nature of the prompt I had to fudge the existence of fortune cookies a little. Mostly because I couldn't remember if they were actually in the game or not. But hey at least I picked a place where it'd be plausible to find them.

“Well! Fancy seein’ you here!”

Both Lara and Roger looked up from their table with a blank stare as an older midlander woman came to greet them. When neither of them spoke, she placed a well-manicured hand on one of her hips. “Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me. And after all I’ve done to help you two in the past!” 

It took another moment of awkward silence before Roger sat up straight. “Wait you–Rowena? What’re you doing here??” Lara belatedly followed suit, finally recognizing the merchant woman. 

“Yeah…who’s looking after Idyllshire if you’re all the way in Hingashi?” 

“Idyllshire can look after itself for a bit–not like I can’t use the aetheryte to check in on things.” Rowena chuckled and winked as she relaxed her stance. “Particularly since there’s good business to be had here. And what about the both o’ ya? Ain’t there some sorta kerfuffle over in Ala Mhigo?”

The teens inhaled sharply at nearly the same time, each looking at the other as if to suss out what they should reveal. 

Rowena’s good cheer dimmed a little. “That bad, huh?” 

“No–I mean, sort of…” Roger rubbed a hand over his face as if that could get rid of the dark circles starting to form under his eyes. “It’s…complicated.”

“We uh, have business here.” Lara managed after some hemming and hawing. “Sort of related to Ala Mhigo. Hancock said he’d take care of the more complicated parts and left us to wander…” Her words trailed off as she tried to think of more to say. Clearly she was coming up with a blank, tired as she looked.

“Hancock? The rep for the East Aldenard Trading Company?”

Roger nodded. “Blonde guy, red glasses, dresses like the people who live here? That one.” The irony of describing someone who completely stood out in both name and appearance among the people of the port city of Kugane completely went over the boy’s head.

Again there was a silence, though this time it was from Rowena’s end. “…And you’re _sure_ you’ve got things handled? East Aldenard Trading…well, even in my business ya hear things about the guy that runs it.” 

“Lolorito is…” Lara sighed, rubbing her temples. “He’s got his own agenda, but he’s helping us. So he’s not _so_ bad, I think…it’s complicated.”

Before Rowena could respond, a loud growl caught the attention of all three of them. From the sudden glances of some of the other patrons around, they weren’t the only ones to have heard it. Roger’s face went pink, which clashed with his red hair. She was glad for the distraction. Clearly the kids had been through a lot in the short time since she’d last seen them. It wouldn’t be proper to force them to talk about things they clearly didn’t want to, especially on an empty stomach. 

“Well! That’s simple enough to understand!” Rowena laughed. “Tell ya what, I’ll order something nice for you both.”

Both of them blinked at the same time. It never stopped being odd to witness. Lara was the first one to recover. “Th-thank you. We had no idea what to order and Roger doesn’t like to eat meat and _I_ haven’t even heard of half of these names so–”

“Keep in mind you’re still gonna have to pay for the meals, kiddos!” Rowena laughed, and something in her shifted a bit at the kids starting to genuinely smile at that. She’d never been interested in having any, but…

“Good old Rowena.” Lara chuckled as she handed over a small bag of gil. 

As she ordered the meals for the kids, Rowena mulled over what she’d heard and seen. She was no stranger to keeping her cards close to her chest. You don’t go far in business if you don’t learn the skill. When last she’d seen Roger and Lara they were certainly weighed down by stuff related to the Dragonsong War, but it hadn’t been enough to extinguish their enthusiasm. What she just witnessed…it was as if the two had been completely beaten down by recent events. 

But what could she do about that? All she had to offer were her antiquities and a familiar face in an unfamiliar part of the world. 

Rowena glanced down at a menu left behind by some patron and did a double take as she read one of the entries. Making a quick decision, she called back the bartender as she was about to place the order. “Add some o’ these to that order?” She asked while tapping at the entry, then glanced back to where the Warriors of Light were still sitting. They’d gone back to nearly laying on the table when she’d gone. Satisfied that no one would be paying attention, Rowena took out a few coins from her own purse. “This should cover it.”

It was an investment, she told herself. 

She made sure to follow along as the food was being brought to Roger and Lara’s table. As if someone had cast a healing spell, the two seemed to revive with the smell of hot food. It didn’t take any encouragement for them to start tucking in with abandon. When she was satisfied that the two _wouldn’t_ keel over from hunger, Rowena cleared her throat to get their attention. 

“Well, I’ve gotta go. Lots to do, people to see, y’know how it is. Looks like the kitchen gave you two a treat, though.” She indicated the small cookies in between Lara and Roger. “Don’t just eat those. You gotta break em open for a fortune.”

“Really?” Roger eyed the cookies with wonder. 

Lara took one and gently broke it in half. “There’s a paper inside!” She picked it up from where it had fluttered to a landing on the table. 

He was almost bouncing in his seat. “What’s it say? What’s it say?” 

“‘An acquaintance of the past will affect you in the near future.’” Lara’s dark blue eyes looked up at Rowena quizzically. She shrugged in response to hide her nerves at the oddly accurate statement. 

“There’s all sorts o’ pithy phrases in the cookies. Can’t just expect what they say to be true.”

It seemed as if Lara was about to say something else, when Roger grabbed hold of another cookie and opened it up himself. “Oh! Mine says, ‘Swimming is easy. Stay floating is hard.’ What?” 

“Told ya.” 

“Let me see another one–” Lara grabbed another couple of cookies and Rowena took this time to make her exit. As she left, she could hear laughter coming from the two of them as they read the increasingly stranger and more generic fortunes. Her insides felt like they were melting a little at the sound.

She still didn’t want to have any kids. But helping a couple of them out of a funk? Rowena could see the appeal in that.


End file.
